Leisure
Leisure is the debut album by Blur. The album was released on 26 August 1991 in the United Kingdom via Food Records, and peaked at #7 in the UK Albums Chart. It was released in the US a month later with a different track listing. The album was certified Gold in the UK. The U.S. version of Leisure was front loaded with Blur's three UK singles and the song "Sing" was replaced by the B-side "I Know" (see track listings for exact changes). The Canadian version has the same tracklisting as the UK version. "Sing" was included on the Trainspotting ''soundtrack in 1996. The original version, "Sing (To Me)" was recorded as a demo in late 1988 under the band's former name- Seymour, and can only be heard on the ultra-rare Promo-only single which was released over a decade later in February 2000. The album was released during the waning days of the Madchester period in the UK and as a result Blur and ''Leisure were seen as catching the end of a trend. With the release of their second album Modern Life Is Rubbish in 1993, Blur would drastically reinvent themselves. Despite a generally positive critical reaction upon release, lead singer Damon Albarn has since referred to Leisure as "awful". In 2008, Coldplay announced upon the release of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends that "Sing" from Leisure provided a starting point for "Lost!". Reception Initially, Leisure was generally well received by the British music press. A highly enthusiastic David Cavanagh wrote in Select magazine that "The four Blur boys have guaranteed themselves a hefty leg-up in the being-taken-seriously stakes with the thrills they've carved into the grooves of 'Leisure'." He concluded that "Leisure, in short, is one of those happy occasions when the hype is dead right." Q magazine's Paul Davies rated the album four out of five stars, and felt it fulfilled the early promise Blur showcased. "This latest bunch of floppy-fringed pop cadets in baggy clothing should consummate their burgeoning pop romance in fine style," Davies elaborated, "for Leisure is a substantially stocked treasure-chest of hit singles just waiting to happen." Alexis Petridis however, writing in''Lime Lizard'', stated "on the evidence of this album, they don't appear to know what they're doing and as a result make appalling mistakes all over the place", also criticising the lyrics. Track listing *'UK Release' #"She's So High" – 4:45 #"Bang" – 3:36 #"Slow Down" – 3:11 #"Repetition" – 5:25 #"Bad Day" – 4:23 #"Sing" – 6:00 #"There's No Other Way" – 3:23 #"Fool" – 3:15 #"Come Together" – 3:51 #"High Cool" – 3:37 #"Birthday" – 3:50 #"Wear Me Down" – 4:49 *'US Release' #"She's So High" #"There's No Other Way" #"Bang" #"I Know" #"Slow Down" #"Repetition" #"Bad Day" #"High Cool" #"Come Together" #"Fool" #"Birthday" #"Wear Me Down" *'Japanese Release' #"She's So High" #"There's No Other Way" #"Bang" #"I Know" #"Slow Down" #"Repetition" #"Bad Day" #"Sing" #"High Cool" #"Come Together" #"Inertia" #"Mr. Briggs" #"Fool" #"Birthday" #"Wear Me Down" Personnel *Damon Albarn –vocals and keyboards *Graham Coxon –guitars and backing vocals *Alex James –bass guitar *Dave Rowntree –drums and percussion Production credits *"She's So High" and "I Know" produced by Steve Lovell and Steve Power *"Fool", "Birthday" and "Wear Me Down" produced by Mike Thorne *"Sing", "Inertia" and "Mr. Briggs" produced by Blur *"There's No Other Way", "Bang", "Slow Down", "Repetition", "Bad Day", "High Cool" and "Come Together" produced by Stephen Street